Machine for operating upon boot and shoe soles



March 10; 1931. w. HOLMES ET AL MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON BOOT ANDSHOE SOLES Filed April 24, 1950 i5 Sheets-Shoot l ,NVENTURE March 10, 1931. w. HOLMES ET AL 1,796,103

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON BOOT AND SHOE SOLES Filed April 24, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 10, 1931. w HOLMES ETAL 1,796,103

MACH INE FOR OPERATING UPON BOOT AND SHOE SOLES Filed April 24. 1930 5 Shoots-Sheet 3 Fig.4.

1615 fi 22 o 150' 18 3 8 19 1 g l-J portion of the sole.

Patented Mar. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT j OFFICE WARREN HOLMES AND CYR-IL HARRY JAMES, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A COR- PORATION OF NEW JERSEY MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON BOOT AND SHOE SOLES Application filed April 24, 1930, Serial No. 447,009, and in Great Britain February 27, 1929.

This invention relates to machines for operating upon boot and shoe soles and is herein illustrated as embodied in a sole-fitting machine provided with means for applying an adhesive in the form of a spray to a desired part or parts of the work.

In the manufacture of boots and shoes it is common to provide a channel either in an insole or in an outsole to receive the stitches used in securing a sole to the other parts of,

the shoe. The lip or flap formed in preparation of such a channel is raised to an upright position to facilitate the operation of a stitching machine. In the case of insoles this has been done on a machine commonly known as a channel opening machine, and after the channel has been opened adhesive is applied to the channel and to the adjacent side of the lip to secure to these parts a reinforcing strip of canvas. In the case of a channeled outsole already attached to a boot or shoe, it is customary to apply the adhesive preparatory to the closing of the channel in order to secure the li or flap to the body lh each of these cases the application of adhesive requires a separate operation with consequent additional expense.

One important object of the present invention is to provide an improved machine for operating on the lip of a channeled sole which is arranged to apply an adhesive to an adjacent portion of the sole substantially simultaneously with the opening or closing of the channel lip.

Such an arrangement is particularly advantageous in that it effects the application of adhesive at a time when the channel lip is held open by reason of its engagement with the lip engaging parts, and a feature of the invention resides in means for applying the adhesive in the form of a spray directed to the bottom of the channel or to the lip, together with means for operating on the lip of a channeled sole constructed and arranged to hold the sole in a predetermined relation to the spraying device.

The invention is illustrated herein in its application to a machine for opening the lip of a channeled insole and the illustrated machine has coacting rolls which grip the lip and feed it along automatically past the outlet of a spray nozzle. In the illustrated machine also the spray nozzle is mounted for movement with one of the treating rolls by movement of an operator-controlled treadle so that the roll and nozzle may be moved aside to permit the insertion and removal of a piece of work. Control devices for the spray nozzle are provided which operate in a predetermined sequence to admit air to the nozzle before the valve controlling the flow of liquid adhesive is opened and at the close of the operation to close the liquid valve before closing the air valve, thus preventing congestion in the nozzle.

In further describing the invention'reference will be made to the accompanying drawings wherein,

'Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of the invention including adhesive applying means applied to a channel opening machine. Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of the spraying nozzle employed in the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation of a modification hereinafter particularly described. P

Figure 4 represents more or less diagrammatically a complete organization including an adhesive supplying mechanism in association with a channel opening machine.

Figure 5 illustrates an air control preferably employed in said organization.

Figures 2 and 3 are drawn to a larger scale and Figures 4 and 5 to a smaller scale than Figure 1. In the form illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the central orifice 1 permitting the adhesive to be expelled upon the work is formed in the reduced end 2 of an inner tubular part 3 surrounding which latter is an annular chamber 4 hereinafter referred to. The needle valve 5 for controlling discharge of adhesive through the central orifice works in the said tubular part 3 and is an extension of a plunger 6, controlled by a spring 7 The plunger 6 passes to the exterior of the main body or housing 8. The latex or adhesive is admitted through an inlet pipe 9 (Fig.1) from a suitable source, such as a tank 10 (Figure 4), to the interior of the tubular part 3, and air under compression is admitted through a pipe 11 to the annular chamber 4 surrounding said tubular part. The tubular part has clamped thereon, by means of a screw 12, a conical cap 13 the extremity of which has an opening 14 formed to surround the reduced end 2 of the inner tubular part and constitute an annular space or passage through which the air from the inner annular chamber 4 is discharged. The inner tubular part may be shaped to form a restricted air passage between its own exterior and the inside of the cap 13, and is screwed or otherwise suitably attached to themain body or housing 8.

The spring-controlled plunger 6 is actuated by suitable connections. In the construction illustrated the end'of said plunger projects from the housing 8 and is fitted with a nut 15 engaged by a pin 16 carried by a spray-control lever 17, said pin being freely movable on the plunger. The lever 17 is pivoted at 18 on a bracket 19 (Fig. 1) in turn pivotally mounted on a bracket or quadrant 20 and clamped thereto by means of a screw 20a. The quadrant is furnished with an arcuate slot 205 for the reception of the screw so that the angular disposition of the nozzle can be varied to change the direction of the spray. The quadrant is clamped on a rod or bar 200 in turn attached to a spindle 21 which carries the tool head 21a. A screw 20d may be provided in the quadrant to afiord extra support to the bracket 19 and hold up the same when the screw 20a is slackened. The spray-control lever-17 is operated by an operator-controlled lever 22 pivoted freely on the spindle 21, and connected by a link 23 to a treadle 24 (see Figure 4), a spring 23a being provided to hold said treadle normally raised. It will beunderstood that in this arrangement the valve 5 is normally closed by the action of the spring 7 on the plunger 6' and j is opened when the link 23 is pulled down I treadle.

against the action of a spring 23a by the A fine screw thread may be provided on x the valve plunger 6 to enable the valve 5 to be adjusted by means of the nut 15 to vary the relative flow of adhesive and air.

.although this integral arrangement is not essential. A pipe 27 or other suitable passage is provided between the housing 26 and annular air chamber 4.

The plunger 25 also projects from the upper end of the housing and is furnished with nuts 150 and 15d, the nuts 15 and 150 being engaged by a lever 17w actuated through a link 175, by a treadle (not shown). By adjusting the nuts 15 and 150 on the plungers so that a lost motion occurs between the lever 17a and the nut 15 on the plunger 6 which controls the adhesive valve, the air controlling valve can be made to open before, and close after the other, in predetermined sequence, for the purpose already described. Instead of opening and closing the valves at'diiferent times, they may be operated so as to control the air and adhesive simultaneously.

When the invention is applied to or embodied in a self-contained machine the lat- .This is an important provision since for ordinary working purposes air may be supplied to the nozzle at a pressure lower than that maintained in the tank, while a certain amount of pressure may be held in reserve for flushing the nozzle and clearing out obstructions suchas may be caused by the ad hesive congealing in the nozzle. For example, we may maintain an air pressure of 10-lbs. per square inch in the tank and by suitable adjustment of the tap 32, supply air to the nozzle at a working pressure of 5 lbs. per square inch, the tap 33 normally being kept closed. When, however, an ob struction occurs air at full pressure can be supplied by way of the tap 33 to clear the nozzle. Further, the operator can flush out the nozzle after a period of operation if the machine is to stand idle for any length of time.

The adhesive applying device constitut- W ing the invention may be employed in carrying out the method of reinforcing channeled insoles forming the sub]ect of British -lEatent No. 309,523 and it is herein illusing nozzle is positioned so as to spray the latex or adhesive into the channel 34 of the insole 35 after the lip 36 of said channel has been raised. That is to say, the nozzle directs the adhesive into the corner between the channel and the lip simultaneously with and just behind the operation of a channel opening tool 37. In this embodiment of the invention the spraying nozzle is so ositioned thatit will distribute the latex or adhesive upon the bottom of the channel" and the inner face of the lip as the sole is held in predetermined relation to the adhesiveapplying means by means including the liptreating tool 37. Thus, simultaneouslv with the opening of the channel, the latter and the lip are coated with adhesive preparatory to reception of the reinforcement. This machine would be furnished with two treadle-rods (Fig. 1) connected to treadles (only one, at 24, Fig. it, being shown), one for turning the spindle 21 so as to raise the tool head 21a and the channel-opening tool 37 to permit insertion of the work, which action would also raise the spraying nozzle since the latter is carried by parts connected with the spindle, and the other for con trolling the air and adhesive as already described herein.

In a channel opening machine as justreferred to the insole 35 while being mechanically fed by means including the channelopening roll 37 engaging the inner face of the upturned lip 36, a driven roll 39 engaging the feather of the sole and supporting the upturned lip 36, and a freely rotatable work-supporting table 41 is guided by said means and the guiding means of the machine. With this. arrangementa sole will be fed automatically to present the whole length of its channel to the spray and the coating will be accomplished eflectively at a time when the lip is supported in full open position thereby exposing the whole width of the channel.

The work may during mechanical feeding be guided by the edge of the sole, the channel or the channel lip. The spraying may be carried out as a separate operation, for instance, to the channels of insoles previously opened or on outsoles already attached with a row of stitches in the channel. Or the spraying may be carried out on attached soles in a machine which simultaneously closes the channel. In this case the nozzle would be disposed so as to spray the adhesive into the open channel or upon the channel lip prior to the action of the channel closing tool of the machine upon said lip.

When the invention is applied to a machine for operating upon soles already attached, the work will be carried on a horn or equivalent device and be fed and guided by suitable means so that the adhesive is sprayed upon the required part or parts during the feeding of the work.

Means may be furnished to enable the effective area of the spray to be varied to suitrequirements. I

Then two or more machines are placed near each other the spraying devices of such machines may obtain their supplies of adhesive and/or air from a common source.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine of the character described, adhesive-applying means arranged to expel adhesive in the form of a spray, and cooperating feeding means for operating on the lip of a. channeled sole constructed and arranged to hold the sole in a predetermined relation to said spraying means.

-2. In a machine of the character described, means acting within the channel for opening a chaimel in a channeled sole, and c0- acting means for directing a spray of adhesive upon the sole and lip. and into the corner between the lip and the channel.

3. In a machine of the character described, a device for spraying adhesive in apredetermined path, and rotatable means engaging a lip of av channeled sole constructed and arranged automatically to present the whole length of a channel in said sole to the path of the adhesive spray thereby to coat the channel and the upstanding lip.

:t. In a machine of the character described, a device for spraying adhesive in a predetermined path and having an air supply and an adhesive supply. rotatablemeans engaging the lip of a channeled sole constructed and arranged automatically to present the whole length of an open channel in said sole in the path of the adhesive spray thereby to coat the channel and the upstanding lip, and operator-controlled means for controlling the air supply and the adhesive supply in a predetermined sequence.

5. In a machine of the character described,means for performing a sole-fitting operation comprising a work support, a roll for opening a channel in a sole arranged to engage the inner face of a channel lip, another roll for engaging the feather of the sole positioned to abut the outer face of the upturned lip, operator controlled means for displacing one of said rolls to permit insertion of the work, and an adhesive spraying device constructed and arranged to direct the spray toward the bottom of the channel, said adhesive spraying means being supported for displacement with said displaceable roll.

6. I11 a machine of the character described, asupport for a channeled sole of a shoe, means including a pair of rolls for engaging opposite faces of an upturned channel lip of the sole and arranged to feed the sole to presentsuecessive portions thereof to the action of said rolls, a-spray nozzle directedtoward a channel at the base of said lip and having an air supply and an adhesive supply, and means for displacing one of said rolls and said nozzle.

7. In a machine of the character described, a support for a channeled sole of a shoe,'means including a pair of rolls for engaging opposite faces of an upturned channel lip of the sole and arranged to treat said lip and to feed the sole to present successive portions thereof to thie action of said rolls, a nozzle directed tow rd a channel at the base of said lip and having an air supply and an adhesive supply, and means for controlling the action of said nozzle by controlling the air supply and the adhesive supply.

8. In a machine of the character described, a support for a channeled sole of a shoe, means including'a pair of rolls for engaging opposite faces of an upturned lip of-the sole and arranged to treat said lip and to feed the sole to present successive portions thereof to the action of said rolls, a nozzle directed toward a channel at the baseof said lip and having an air supply and an adhesive supply, means for displacing one of said rolls and said nozzle, and

operator-controlled means for controlling the air supply and the adhesive supply in a predetermined sequence. v

9. In a machine of the character described, a pivotally supported lip-treating tool adapted to be applied to a lip of a channeled sole, means for displacing said tool on its pivot to facilitate the presentation of a sole to the machine and its removal therefrom, and a spray nozzle supported for movement with'said tool.

10. In a machineof the character described, a pivotally supported lip-treating tool adapted to be applied to a lip of a channeled sole, means for displacing said tool on its pivot to facilitate the presentation of a sole to the machine and its removal therefrom, a spray nozzle supported for movement with said tool, and means for adjusting the position of said nozzle on-its support thereby to determine the direction of the spray.

11. In a machine of. the character described, a lip-treating tool adapted to be applied to a channeled sole, a spray nozzle,

on said pin for engagement with said spray control member.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

- WARREN HOLMES.

OYRIL HARRY JAMES. 

